(CNN) – Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty's heading back to Iowa later this month to campaign for fellow Republicans. For the possible 2012 White House hopeful, it's the third trip in the past year to the state whose caucuses kick off the presidential primary season.
Palwenty spokesman Alex Conant confirms to CNN that beginning on July 31, Pawlenty is lined up for three days of campaign events in eastern Iowa, lending a helping hand to several legislative candidates in hopes of regaining GOP control of the state legislature.
"Governor Pawlenty is working hard to help conservatives around the country win this fall. We have great opportunities in Iowa, and Governor Pawlenty is trying to build on that excitement through his new Iowa PAC and this upcoming trip to eastern Iowa," says Conant.
This weekend Pawlenty will be in New Hampshire, which holds the first primary in the battle for the White House. On Saturday, Pawlenty attends the Stafford County Republican Committee Annual Picnic during the day. And that evening he's headlining a private reception for the New Hampshire Republican State Committee. Palwenty is in the region to attend annual National Governors Association meetings being held this weekend in Boston.
Pawlenty's announcement, last summer, that he would not run this year for a third term as governor was a tip off that he was considering a run for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.
Since then, Pawlenty has been very visible, speaking out against the Obama administration and appearing at a number of major Republican and conservative events. He also became vice chairman of the Republican Governors Association and announced a group of new advisers, several of whom advised Pawlenty's potential 2012 rival - former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney - during Romney's 2008 presidential bid.
Last October Pawlenty also set up Freedom First PAC, a federal political action committee, to help pay for travel across the country to assist and contribute to Republican candidates. The Minnesota governor has also set up PACs in other states, such as New Hampshire.
Most national surveys of the 2012 GOP nomination battle place Pawlenty in the single digits.
From CNN Politics
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Pawlenty's announcement, last summer, that he would not run this year for a third term as governor was a tip off that he was considering a run for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination
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Actually, CNN, Pawlenty's announcement that he would not run this year for a third term as governor was a tip that he couldn't secure a third term as governor. His poll numbers have been down for two years or more.
As long as Pawlenty keeps away from Minnesota, we in Minnesota are fine with wherever he goes.
Go Home! Take your homophobia with you
This close to right wing conservative doesn't stand a chance. He listens to the right too much and doesn't represent the moderates or liberals. You can't win with only a conservative base!
Where he will continue to waste his time and money. He's not corporatist enough for the corporatist Republicans.
Doesn't he have a state to run?
Good luck pitching your agenda of hatred and bigotry, sponsored by your Big $ sell-out Masters.
Pawlenty is just another John McCain/Lindsay Graham type. Sorry, but we don't want any big government socialists in the Republican Party anymore
Get that bridge-destroyer a job. He obviously takes MN welfare payments instead of earning his money.
Pawlenty is going to be somewhere other than Minnesota and he is going to be doing something other than governing said state? What a shocker!
As a Minnesota resident it's bittersweet that Pawlenty is not running a thirdterm as governor. Bitter in the sense I will not be able to help vote him out, sweet in the sense that he will not be governor no matter what.
Sorry. This guy looks more like a crook than a president.
As a Minnesotan, I hope Iowa keeps Pawlenty. One things for sure, he's for "p...lenty" of program cuts and no original ideas of his own. Quick seal the Mn-Iowa border!!!!
look its tim I got Pawlenty of crap to sell to the american voter were
do they get these idiots its the same old same old lets throw the
fear factor and see if that is going to work were are the solutions
can he crap out new jobs to bring the unemployment down can
he put his big mouth over the BP pipe in the gulf and stop the oil
leak because that is what his party wants lets say no to everything
that comes out of congress or the senate and then say Obama is
not doing what he said he was going to do lets cut unemployment
benefits to the american people who don't want to be on unemployment
I hope most Americans are done with the party of no, the party that apologizes to BP, the party that calls the unemployed lazy and spoiled. I hope America has figured out what Republicans stand for, which would be big oil, big banks, and big business. As a MInnesotan, I hope the rest of America runs from this fake wannabe President, he will say whatever it takes to get elected.
Go there as often as you want and two things will happen. First, you won't get the nomination and second you're spending so much time outside of your that you'll have to join the ranks of Half Gov. Palin and quit.
So Tim Pawlenty leaves the state....again. Frankly, I'm not surprised and I join the other commentors and welcome his absence.
Don't we just Love Republicans?
Every since 2008 they have been trying to spin their loss to be a result of a liberal guilt ridden society that picked a President that was incompetent for the job.
H E L L O You lost because of the shambles you made of the economy morons. You, yes you! You did this. You have no alibi. You have no scape goat.
And by the way, no one can fix the mess you made in two years.
nuff said
After seeing Tim try to sabotage the Franken vs Coleman election, I don't see how he expects to be taken seriously. He claims to be for "small government" but showed no restraint in forcing his own preferences on the voters.
This man is a notorious liar. How could anyone trust this man.. It is a crying shame to hear and see some of these Republican/conservatives people compiling the lies about the Dems.
Why would anyone trust these people to run a country. They are really horrible, awful, untrustworthy scums in suits. Kick them, to the curb
once more. The pretend to be God people but they hate everyone.
They are wolves in sheep clothings....
Stay in Iowa Pawlenty - MN doesn't want you anymore. You have done nothing but cause problems here and offer no workable solutions whatsoever. Pawlenty is just another extreme partisan who never puts the good of the state before his political aspirations.
Please keep him in Iowa, he is the worst govenor MN has ever had.
Tim, Tim Tim........ who cares what you do or say. You and Mitt the moron, are irrelevant. You both have no chance at the presidency. Disappear, and take Sarah with you.
The Repubs know they can't win in 2012 so why not make Pawlenty their sacrificial lamb. Though Max Headroom would be more entertaining.
I see that 1/3 of the PEE Party, PALIN,PAUL,and Pawllenty is outooking for suckers to donate for his upcoming losing battlefor a national office. He will probably ask Pitiful Palin to be his running mate. Suggestion PAW ask Al Franken to be your campaign advisor I am sure he would do you justice.
Please, we don't want him either
I have listened to Tim Pawlenty speak multiple times on television and online. He seems likeable but he doesn’t inspire much confidence as a prospective president. I hope he remains a high profile presence – as something other than a presidential candidate.